The Bad Wolf Code
by eeveekitty85
Summary: Rose closed her eyes, praying for someone to rescue her. But no one came. AU fic in which the Doctor does not meet Rose. At least, not when he was supposed to. DWTW crossover.
1. Chapter 1

**The Bad Wolf Code**

**Notes: **This was inspired in part by the fate of Angel in the Buffy book, The Lost Slayer. I love that book. Any fans of the show should really check it out. The bit where they set the sprinklers off then the priest blesses the water and makes it holy…such an awesome idea.

Anyway, I took what happened to him, changed it, and made it into my own AU fic in which the Doctor does not save Rose from the Autons. In fact, the Doctor seems to have disappeared altogether…

Oooh, I've just noticed that my chosen title is similar to a certain controversial book by Dan Brown. But you can rest assured that this fic has nothing to do with Da Vinci. I promise.

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"Wilson?"

There was no answer. She walked cautiously across the room and tried the door at the far end. Finding it locked, she was just about to give up the hunt and leave the money with security for the night when there was a slight creak from behind her. She turned around just in time to watch the door she had entered through slam shut.

She ran back towards it and pushed, then pulled, on the handle. It wouldn't open.

"Oh you're kidding me," she said, wondering what on Earth she was supposed to do next. She certainly wasn't spending the night locked down in the basement.

A noise behind her made her turn around again sharply. Trying not to let her fear show on her face, she walked to the centre of the room, glancing around her. All was quiet.

"Who is it?" she called, her voice shaking slightly. She frowned. This just wasn't funny. She looked around at the collection of immobile dummies, draped messily in last month's fashions. And as she watched, a plastic face slowly, very slowly, turned to stare at her blankly. She held her breath, scared, but somehow fascinated. Her mind raced, searching for logical explanations, as the dummy began to move other parts of its body. It was starting to advance on her.

"OK, you got me, very funny," she called out with false bravado, her voice echoing around the room. It had to be a trick, it just had to be, because if it wasn't…she was completely alone.

Suddenly, about six other dummies jerked to life, and she began to feel slightly angry.

"Right, I've got the joke," she called out crossly. "Whose idea was this? Is it Derek? Is it?" No one was answering. Feeling a little panicked, she called out again, "Derek, is this you?"

The dummies were walking now, slowly and unsteadily, but definitely moving towards her. She backed away her heart pounding uncomfortably in her ears as she groped for an exit. She tried to stare defiantly at that first dummy, but it made no reaction except to raise its arm…

Rose Tyler closed her eyes, praying for someone to rescue her. But no one came.

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**Some time later…**

"You did it!" Shareen accused, pointing her finger wildly at Rose. "You murdered him!" The others nodded their heads in agreement. Rose tried to keep a straight face, then burst out laughing.

"Was I that obvious?" she said, grinning.

"Edith my dear, it couldn't have been anyone else," said Mickey in a snooty, upper class voice, grinning back at her as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"What gave me away?" Rose asked.

"The clue about the emerald jewellery!" Shareen said. "It was completely obvious. Cause look, it said right here on the invitation: Edith le Grandbutte, suggested costume, emerald jewellery. An idiot could have worked it out."

"Yeah, even Mickey got it," said his friend Dan wickedly, receiving a thump in return.

"Watch it you," Rose warned. "You're talking to the Deputy Mayor of Casablanca, isn't he Huges?"

"That's right," said Mickey, puffing out his chest in his smart dinner jacket. Everyone laughed at this and there was a general demand for more wine. Rose laced her fingers through Mickey's.

"Thank you so much for this," she said quietly, smiling. "It's been a fantastic party."

"Well it was Dan's idea really," he said modestly. "To have a murder mystery, I mean. But yeah, I suppose I was the one who sorted it all."

"Don't forget whose flat this is!" cried Shareen, giving a little mock curtsey as she fetched another bottle. "Your humble hostess."

"Hey, I was the one who cooked!" Mel protested.

"And a lovely meal it was too," said Steve, watching her lovingly. She blushed and giggled.

"You're all fantastic then, alright?" said Rose, giggling. "Pass that bottle here."

She was just reaching for it when the doorbell rang.

"God, who could that be?" Shareen wondered crossly, looking at the clock. "It's past midnight."

"It's not the cab is it?" asked Mel worriedly, looking at her watch. "It's not supposed to come for another hour yet."

"P'raps it's your mum. You don't have a curfew do you?" Steve teased her. Mel punched him in the arm and he pretended to be fatally wounded. "Owww…you'll have to kiss it better now…"

"Ha bloody ha," she said, rolling her eyes.

The doorbell rang again and Shareen sighed. "Alright, I'm coming," she called on her way out of the room. After a few moments she returned, followed by one of the most handsome men Rose had ever seen. She laughed and looked around the table accusingly.

"OK, who ordered the stripper?" she asked with a grin, looking at the strange outfit the man was wearing. A long coat that looked old fashioned, almost uniform, and underneath that a shirt tucked into trousers that were held up by braces. It was a bizarre collection of clothes, but the man wore them like he was a model. Looking at the man's face, Rose had a suspicion that he would look good in anything.

"What's he supposed to be?" Mickey asked grumpily.

"I'm Captain Jack Harkness," said the stranger, smiling a perfect smile. "And I'm here for Rose Tyler."

"Ooooh, an American! OK, someone own up," said Rose, giggling. "Who booked him?" No one answered. "Well go on," she persisted, frowning. "I'm not cross. Who was it?"

"It wasn't me," said Shareen.

"And it definitely wasn't me," said Mickey with a face like thunder. Rose turned to Steve and Mel, but they both looked slightly bewildered.

"No one booked me," said the Captain calmly. "No one hired me, no one ordered me."

"So you're not a stripper then?" Rose realised, blushing. "Oh God, I'm sorry, I just thought…because of your clothes…" She trailed off, feeling embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it, happens surprisingly often," he said lightly. "Now, is there somewhere we can talk?" He looked Rose in the eye. "Somewhere private."

"Um…well, there's the kitchen," she said, waving her hand in the general direction. She was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable. The Captain's gaze was intense, and he was still staring her straight in the eye. And somehow, she couldn't bear to look away.

"How about your flat Rose?" he suggested. When she didn't reply, he added, "It's important."

"Yeah, but I still don't know who you are," Rose said slowly. "Captain of what?"

He rummaged in his wallet and produced some official looking ID. "I'm with a special ops branch."

"The police?" asked Mel in a small voice, looking a bit frightened.

"Sort of," said Jack. "Well, not really. But it's nothing to worry about." He fixed his eyes back on Rose. "I just need to talk to you."

"OK…" said Rose hesitantly. "I'll…I'll get my keys."

"Hang on a second," Mickey began, standing up. He did not look happy. In fact, he looked like he was squaring up to the Captain, preparing himself for a fight. He was met with a cool, unconcerned stare.

"Mickey, don't fuss," Rose said, taking his arm and leading him away. "Look, I've got my mobile, and my mum's at home. I'll be fine." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Rose, you don't even know this bloke," Mickey protested, but Rose just kissed him again and smiled.

"I'll be fine," she insisted. She looked back towards the Captain, who was standing in the doorway silently, still staring at her. She shivered in her elegant dress, but not altogether because she was cold. Jack suddenly moved forwards, picked up her silk shawl, and slipped it over her shoulders, smiling softly. She picked up her handbag, and said a quick goodbye to Shareen and the others.

"Thanks again for the party," she said. Shareen hugged her tightly, whispering in her ear, "Go for it, girl!" Rose shot her a warning look then waved goodbye to Mickey. He folded his arms, clearly in a sulk.

And that was how Rose Tyler left the last normal evening of her life.

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I hope you all enjoyed that. Hopefully I'll be able to stick with this project...I have lots of good ideas for it, and a pretty detailed plan of where it's going, so fingers crossed eh? Please review. Please.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Bad Wolf Code**

**Part Two**

**Notes: **Nothing important to say, just lots of thanks towards my reviewers. I'm glad there are some people definitely enjoying reading this story. And from my stats, I can see that a lot of people are reading it! So thank you all. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

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Rose pushed her key into the lock and opened the door as quietly as she could manage.

"So it's your birthday then?" Jack asked, following her inside.

"Sssh!" said Rose, covering his mouth quickly and listening. His eyes widened above her hand. "Sorry," she whispered apologetically. "But my mum's asleep, and I don't want to wake her up. She'll ask too many questions."

He nodded to show he understood, and she beckoned him into the living room, quietly closing her mother's bedroom door on the way.

"You still live with your mom?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Rose glared at him.

"Problem?" she asked threateningly. He grinned and shook his head. She flopped into a chair. "You can sit down if you like."

He sat down obediently, looking around the room. "Nice place," he observed.

"Thanks," she said, wondering when he was going to stop making small talk and actually get on with it. She decided to give him a push in the right direction. "So why did you want to talk to me? I'm not in trouble or anything, am I?"

"No, course not. It's complicated," he admitted, but Rose wasn't listening. She'd suddenly realised something strange.

"And how did you know I'd be at Shareen's place?" she demanded. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Have you been following me or something?"

"Yes," he said calmly. Her mouth dropped open.

"You've been following me?" she repeated, wondering if this was an elaborate joke.

"Yes," he replied, as if there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.

"Why have you been following me?" she said, her hand closing on her mobile.

"Don't panic," he said. "Just hear me out. I'm not a stalker, I already said, I'm with…special ops. Look, I'm _not _a stalker!"

"Could've fooled me!" she shot back. "Oh my God, how long have you been following me? I haven't done anything wrong!"

"OK, can we start again please?" Jack said, raising his eyebrows. "I need to explain this properly, from the beginning, and I can't do that if you're going to get all obsessed about one tiny detail--"

"Oh, I'm so sorry if I see a problem with being _followed_ by someone I don't even know!" she said, standing up, feeling scared and angry. There was a sound from her mother's room and she stopped dead, listening. Had she spoken too loudly? She really didn't feel up to dealing with her mum, not now. But there were no further noises. Her mum was obviously still asleep. Relieved, she sat back down again and glared at Jack.

"OK, Captain Jack Harkness," she said. "Start at the beginning."

"OK," he said, his tone becoming more brisk and business-like. "Think back to last year."

"Any time in particular?" said Rose, wondering where he was going with this.

"Henriks," Jack said. Rose sat up a little straighter, curious. "Oh, got your full attention now, have I? You were there when Henriks was destroyed."

"Yeah, by those students," she said. Jack didn't respond, just studied her curiously. She frowned. "Well that's who it was. Those idiots pretending to be shop dummies."

"They weren't students," Jack said firmly. "And they didn't blow up the store. We did." Seeing Rose was confused, Jack began to explain. "I work for an organisation called Torchwood. A secret organisation, but these are…special circumstances. What you witnessed that day wasn't a student prank. It was an alien invasion."

Rose gaped for a moment then cracked up laughing. "An alien invasion?" she said incredulously, spluttering slightly. "You're mad you are. Absolutely mad."

"OK," said Jack reasonably. "That's a sensible conclusion. So what about this year? Only a couple of weeks ago a great big spaceship flew into Big Ben. What was that? Another student prank?"

"A complete hoax," said Rose.

"Whose hoax?"

"I don't know!" said Rose, feeling frustrated. "But that's what it was. There were all sorts of rumours about it. Some people thought it was an elaborate terrorist attack cause they blew up 10 Downing Street."

"That was us," said Jack.

"Of course it was," she said, rolling her eyes. "Is that what Torchwood does then? Blow things up?" Her tone was sarcastic but Jack paused for a moment, thinking about it.

"Fair comment," he said eventually. He leant forwards, lowering his voice. "The thing is, the twenty-first century is when everything changes. The Earth gets attacked again and again by hundreds of alien threats, and you've gotta be ready. That's what Torchwood is doing, that's what I'm doing. Preparing and protecting the Earth."

"Great," said Rose, wondering how she was going to get rid of this lunatic. "That's just great. So if you have this important job to do, why aren't you doing it? I really think you should get back to it, don't you?" She stood up and took him by the arm, trying to lift him out of his seat. He stood up but made no movements towards the door. Instead, he gripped her by both arms and stared her straight in the face.

"When you were trapped in that basement, you weren't supposed to be alone," he said, stressing every syllable. "Someone was supposed to save you. A man called the Doctor."

"No offence, but I think you're the one who needs a doctor, not me," she said, trying to squirm out of his grip. He held on tightly. "Look, if you don't let go, I'm gonna start screaming."

"Bad wolf," said Jack suddenly. He stared at her, waiting for a reaction.

"Yeah…bad wolf," she replied, completely convinced now that he was a lunatic. "Now get out of my flat please," she added, still trying to break his grip on her arms.

"No Rose, pay attention," he insisted, taking hold of her face instead and forcing her to look at him. "Don't those words mean anything to you? Bad wolf. Think about it."

Rose stared at him vacantly for a few seconds, then felt something…something stirring in her mind. It was a peculiar sensation, a little bit like déjà vu. It was as if those words _did _mean something to her…something significant. The more she concentrated on the words, the more intense the sensation became, until she began to feel like her head was filling with white noise. She closed her eyes, trying to force it to stop.

"Rose, what you're feeling right now isn't déjà vu. It's something very different…it doesn't really have a name. At least I don't think it does. I never got round to giving it one. It's like--" He paused, wondering how he could put it into words. "--like trying to grab hold of something that's out of reach, like a straining in your mind. Pictures and sounds and faces that won't come into focus."

"Stop it," she said, squeezing her eyes shut. She heard him sigh.

"If it's any consolation, I feel the exact same way."

She tried to tune out the blur of pictures in her mind, focusing instead on things that were real. She concentrated on his hands on her face. Something about his touch…it was familiar. Impossibly familiar. Her eyes flew open and she pulled away, staring at him, frightened now. "I can remember you," she blurted.

"Yeah? I can remember you too," he said, smiling weakly.

"But I don't even _know _you," she said.

"You _should_ know me though, that's the point," he said, although Rose didn't find this explanation in any way helpful. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. It's all to do with the Doctor."

"OK," she said, feeling irritated. Jack certainly liked to keep things mysterious. "So who's the Doctor?"

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_The Lord of Time had suddenly, and without warning, been rendered completely timeless. A man who had travelled constantly through Time and Space for centuries was finally standing still. His mind drifted through the silence, through the blackness, but he did not move and he did not age. He hung there, barely aware of anything._

_And the Mind watched over him._

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So, are things taking a more interesting turn? I do hope people are enjoying this. And please, please review. I'm not going to be childish and say 'I'm not updating until I get this many reviews', but I honestly do tend to lose interest in a project if people aren't prodding me to write more. So any interest would be greatly appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

**The Bad Wolf Code**

**Part Three**

**Notes: **Many many thanks to all those who have reviewed. It really makes my day! And hands up all who love Ianto? Cause I don't think he gets enough screen time at all...and he's barely in my brand new shiny Torchwood book! That doesn't really have anything to do with the fic, I just thought I'd mention it...OK, I'll shut up...

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"The Doctor was an alien, thankfully the good kind," Jack began. "He had a machine that could travel through time and space. And while he was travelling, he tended to find trouble, especially on Earth. We've got records of him going back hundreds of years, stories, legends, folklore. We've even traced people who travelled with him. Apparently he saved this planet more than Torchwood ever has."

"He _was _an alien…so he's dead now then? Is that why you're so bothered about him?" Rose asked, but Jack shook his head.

"That's the problem," he said. "He isn't _dead_. He's been removed from his timeline. That's why I'm feeling like I'm watching five TV channels at once, none of which are in English. History has been changed. _Our_ histories. Our own personal timelines got screwed up when the Doctor was removed from his."

"I can't believe any of this," said Rose, shaking her head. "It doesn't make sense. You're…you're just some madman stalker."

"I'm not mad Rose," he said quietly. "That night in Henriks, you were supposed to be saved, saved by him. Instead you had to run for your life all by yourself, and that's not how it was meant to be."

Rose looked at Captain Jack, almost pitying him.

"You really believe all this, don't you?" she asked. He nodded. There was a moment of awkward silence.

"Can I offer you some proof?" he asked tentatively. Rose frowned.

"That depends," she said slowly. "What kind of proof?"

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Rose sat in the passenger seat of Jack's SUV and wondered what the hell she was playing at. She could just imagine what Mickey would say, not to mention her mum. She rested her head against the window and vibrations juddered through her head, waking her up a bit. She checked the delicate silver watch that Mickey had given her as a birthday present. Almost three o'clock in the morning. The party felt like it had happened centuries ago.

"So tell me about bad wolf," she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Why don't you get some rest?" Jack suggested. "We've still got a bit of mileage to do."

"I'm not falling asleep in some mad stranger's car," Rose said, although her eyelids felt distinctly heavy. Jack chuckled.

"You don't seem altogether lucid yourself, if you don't mind me saying so," he said. "After all, you're the one who got into the mad stranger's car. Willingly."

"Look, tell me about bad wolf or I'm leaving," she said.

"We're on a motorway."

"I don't care," she replied stubbornly.

"You drive a hard bargain, Rose Tyler," he said, grinning. "I can see why I liked you. Or should have liked you. I should really invent a proper tense for occasions like this." She allowed herself to smile. "Bad wolf is the name of a virus that infected our computer system a month ago. Our resident techno-wizard started on it straight away, hacking it to pieces, trying to trace where it came from. Strange thing is, she couldn't trace it. None of us could. This virus came from nowhere."

"So maybe someone out there is cleverer than you," she suggested.

"Oh you don't know the half of it," Jack promised. "Because once Tosh got right inside the virus, took it apart brick by brick, she found a code. And no, before you say it, it wasn't just computer code."

"I would have said binary code," said Rose sleepily. "Or ASCII." Jack shot her a glance.

"Right," he said, a little thrown by this. "It wasn't either of those. It was a whole new code. Tosh got excited about that one. But the best part of the code was when we managed to break it. Then things got interesting."

He looked across at her. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing deeply. Jack smiled to himself and turned on his earpiece.

"Ianto? We're nearly there." He glanced at Rose again. Her head had dropped onto her shoulder. "Make some strong coffee."

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_He didn't feel pain. He didn't feel at all. The Mind saw to that. It kept him in a permanent state of nothingness, feeling nothing, experiencing nothing, seeing, hearing, tasting nothing._

_Occasionally, his brain waves would spike slightly, and the Mind would release another dose of sedative. It was better to keep him completely unaware than to distress him._

_What the Mind didn't realise was that those spikes were significant. Because when his brain waves spiked, he was calling out with his mind. Reaching for her._

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_Rose! Rose, please…I need you. Rose Tyler. I've seen what was meant for us. Rose…_

"Rose?"

She jerked awake and stared upwards, her tired eyes focusing on Jack. "Don't whisper things to me while I'm asleep," she said crossly, sitting up. Someone had stretched her out across a battered sofa and draped a blanket over her.

"I didn't," Jack said, frowning at her.

"You do pick up some weirdoes, Harkness," commented a small, scrawny man with a face that had clearly been punched a fair few times in the past. He was wearing a pristinely white lab coat but had pinned a few rebellious badges to the lapels.

"Thanks," Rose muttered, glaring at him. "He's quite the charmer."

"Isn't he just?" Jack said darkly. "Run along Owen. I've got work to do."

Owen snapped a sarcastic salute. "Yes, sir," he said in a mocking falsetto as he moved away.

"Is this Torchwood?" Rose asked, looking around her. The décor was bizarre. There was a massive collection of high tech computers surrounded by gleaming glass partitions, but the walls were made of brick and nearly everything metal was rusting.

Jack nodded in response then held out his hand. She took it gratefully and he helped her to stand up. Then he passed her a steaming mug. "Here, drink this," he said. Rose looked suspiciously at the mug and Jack grinned. "It's coffee. Ianto's special brew."

"Who's Ianto?" Rose asked, sipping at the coffee. It was thick and quite bitter but she immediately felt warmth flooding through her.

"That'll be me," said a young man in a suit as he came up some nearby stairs. He passed a stack of papers to Jack then turned to Rose. "Welcome to Torchwood, Miss Tyler. How's the coffee?"

"Um…great, thanks," said Rose, feeling a little bewildered. "And Rose is fine. I mean, I'm not talking about myself…obviously, I'm fine as in…but you can call me Rose."

Ianto seemed to make perfect sense of this babbled sentence and smiled at her. "Rose then," he corrected, then turned his attention to Jack. "That's the completed transcription of the bad wolf code, sir."

Jack looked at the stack of files. "But it's huge."

"Yes sir. Happy reading," said Ianto cheerfully as he walked away.

"But you said you'd already decoded it," said Rose, trying to get up to speed.

"We decoded the first couple of pages, which pretty much told us everything we needed to know about you and your connections with the Doctor," he said, flipping through the rest of it. "God, no wonder Tosh has been so stressed out. I should give her a raise."

"If it mentions me and my _connections_, am I allowed to read it?" asked Rose, a little huffily.

"I'd rather explain it to you myself," said Jack distractedly. "What the hell is the Mind?"

"Oi!" she said crossly, grabbing the papers out of his hands. "Read it later, and tell me why exactly you've decided to bring me to Cardiff."

Jack snatched the papers back, scowled at her, then put them down on the sofa. "It was about proof, wasn't it? You wanted proof of alien life. I happen to have an alien right downstairs."

"That's perfect," she said in a falsely polite, sweet tone. "I'd love to see it." She set down her coffee mug down on a nearby table then smiled at Jack. "Ready when you are."

Jack smiled back and lead the way into the basement. As she followed him, Rose heard a screeching sound above their heads. She looked up to see a huge, ugly creature with massive leathery wings.

"What the hell's that?" she asked, gaping at it as it swooped lazily around the cavernous building.

"Pterodactyl," said Jack without turning round.

"Right." Rose paused for a moment, then shook her head and ran after Jack.

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	4. Chapter 4

**The Bad Wolf Code**

**Part Four**

**Notes: **Yet again, thank you so much for the kind reviews! It's so very encouraging to know that people are enjoying this. Hope you all like this chapter.

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The basement was eerily dark. Rose went down the steps cautiously. The posh, heeled shoes that she'd worn for the party clicked noisily on the floor. To her left was what looked like a row of prison cells. She shivered involuntarily.

"Cold?" Jack asked, sounding concerned.

"A bit," Rose replied, peering into the darkness so she could hide the real reason she was shivering.

"It's a beautiful dress," Jack commented sincerely. "But we'll have to get you some more practical clothes. You wouldn't last two minutes outside."

Rose wasn't paying attention. There was something moving at the end of the row. Something that was making a low growling noise. "What is it?" she asked.

"Go closer," he said. "It won't hurt you."

Rose moved forwards and looked into the cell. There was a figure crouching behind the glass, it's back towards her. She took another step, her heel clicking, and the figure turned around and snarled. Rose fought back a scream. The creature, whatever it was, had teeth like a shark and cold, inhuman eyes.

"We call them Weevils," Jack said quietly, standing just behind her with his arms folded. "And from where I'm standing, they're pretty solid proof of alien life."

Rose watched it numbly.

"Why do you want me Jack?" she asked eventually, her voice shaking. "Why am I important?"

"Because when you were in that basement…and that's when it all went wrong," Jack said. He put a hand on her shoulder and she turned to face him.

"That's when the Doctor disappeared," she said.

"Exactly," he replied.

"I heard him," she said quietly, remembering the words she thought Jack had whispered to her. _Rose Tyler. I've seen what was meant for us. _"Before, when I was asleep. I heard him…he _spoke_ to me. How could he speak to me?"

"I don't know," said Jack. "But I've been hearing him for years." He studied Rose for a moment. "Come here," he said finally, opening his arms. She fell into them gratefully, so relieved to be with someone who understood that, for a while, she could barely speak.

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"I can make some coffee if you like," Gwen offered, watching Rose as she walked slowly around the living room of Gwen's flat, just looking. Rose turned her face towards Gwen and smiled weakly.

"No thanks," she replied. "I think I've already had enough caffeine."

"Aah, Ianto made you some, did he?" Gwen said with a knowing smile. Rose nodded, clutching her shawl and looking decidedly awkward. Gwen frowned, feeling concerned for her. "Are you sure you don't want anything? You look a bit shaken."

"Well yeah, I am, a bit," Rose said, laughing it off. "But honestly, it's enough for you to offer to lend me clothes."

"It's no bother," said Gwen kindly. "Why don't you come through and we can have a root around, see what'll fit you. The bedroom's just through here."

After a few minutes of searching, they found a pair of jeans that Gwen had ordered from a catalogue, discarded as being too long and then forgotten to send back, which fitted Rose fairly well. Tops were more of a problem because Gwen was a size smaller than Rose, but they managed to find an old T-shirt that wasn't obscenely tight, and then a soft white jumper than Gwen had never really liked but Rose loved on sight.

"Thank you so much for this," Rose said, doing a quick twirl and watching her reflection in the mirror.

"And here, you better change out of those heels as well," said Gwen, chucking Rose an old pair of trainers with she caught deftly.

"So how did you join up with Torchwood?" Rose asked curiously as she shoved her feet into the trainers. "Did you apply or was Jack following you around as well?"

Gwen laughed. "I sort of got transferred," she said. "I used to be a police officer, but I saw Torchwood out on a job and…well, it looked so--" She paused, trying to choose the right word. "--_interesting_ that I wanted to know more about them. Eventually they got fed up of me pestering. Besides which, they had a vacancy."

Something about the way Gwen said it made Rose look up. Gwen had fallen silent, and was looking out of the window but not really looking. Her mind was elsewhere. "What do you mean?" Rose asked.

"Suzie Costello," she replied distantly. "She'd been acting strangely for months. And then Tosh found out what she'd been doing. All sorts of hidden computer files, messing around with the security in the Hub. And there was a man called Max. God, Suzie was clever, she'd concocted such an elaborate scheme." Gwen shook herself out of her reverie. "But anyway, she got found out, and I got a job."

"But…" Rose felt that Gwen was holding back, that there was more to this than she was letting on. "What happened to her?"

Gwen stared blankly at her. "Like I said. She got found out."

Rose lowered her head and got on with the job of tying one of the old, scruffy shoelaces on Gwen's trainers. "And…what about Jack?" she asked tentatively. "Who is he? When did he join up?"

"You're asking me?" said Gwen incredulously. "God, he doesn't tell me anything. He doesn't tell any of us anything, not about himself. He'll drop in these little anecdotes, like the time he had a threesome with Jimmy Carter and a vacuum cleaner, or what kind of place the planet Hog is and where you can buy the best alcohol there." She sighed. "He's American, probably. And Tosh's digging has revealed that he joined about three years ago and worked his way up pretty quickly because he knows all this stuff about alien life and technology. And I mean, how does he know that? Jack Harkness is a complete mystery, probably even to himself."

With this peculiar statement, she abruptly stopped talking and started hanging up all the clothes that they had discarded in their search. Rose finished tying up the trainers in silence before a sudden noise made her jump. Her handbag was jingling and vibrating.

"My phone," she muttered, opening the handbag and rummaging around inside. Her heart sank when she saw the caller ID. "Oh God…"

"What is it?" Gwen asked.

"My mum," Rose said, biting her lip. "Oh I'd better answer it, she'll only keep on ringing." She pressed the appropriate button and put the phone to her ear with the air of someone who knows they are doomed and would like to get it over with. "Hello? Hi Mum…yeah…oh, he did, did he?" She rolled her eyes at Gwen and walked off into the living room.

Gwen got on with packing away the clothes. A few moments later though, she felt a strange prickling sensation, all down her spine. It was a bit like static electricity. Before she could blame it on the Lycra top she was holding that she'd bought on a very drunken night out, a scream ripped through the air. Gwen bolted into the living room to see two abnormally tall figures swathed in black, one of whom was holding Rose by the neck. She was unconscious, and looked alarmingly limp.

Without thinking, Gwen charged at the nearest figure, her hands curled into fists. Seemingly effortlessly, it knocked her around the face with enough force to fell a rhinoceros. Gwen felt as if she'd been hit by a truck, and immediately fell on top of the coffee table, which turned on it's side, sending a stack of travel brochures and magazines flying over the floor. The last thing Gwen was aware of was a sudden flash of blue.

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(does an enticing dance) Review?


	5. Chapter 5

**The Bad Wolf Code**

**Part Five**

**Notes: **How excellent was the ending of Torchwood? I did NOT see that coming, but I was absolutely thrilled by it. Finally, a happy ending to a series! And a proper happy ending, not one tinged with bitterness like Joss Whedon seems to like...

Anyway, the next chapter, as you've already guessed, is here. Lots and lots of Ianto in this one, with just a hint of Jack/Ianto. Yup, I'm a bit of a shipper, but it's not anything too racy (gotta preserve the rating), just the kind of subtle hinting you get on the series. If I'm allowed to compare myself to the series, which I don't think I am. Anyway. The chapter is here. You read now.

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"Coffee sir?" Ianto's head popped around Jack's office door, his hand holding a cafetiere. Jack shook his head and Ianto disappeared. Then, feeling exasperated and wanting company, Jack called him back.

"Ianto, can you spare a few minutes?" he asked. Ianto returned, looking quietly pleased to be wanted.

"Of course," he said warmly.

"Have a seat," said Jack, gesturing carelessly at a chair in front of his desk. He sighed, handing Ianto the stack of papers that made up the translated version of the Bad Wolf Code. "Ianto, I need your opinion on this, because a lot of it doesn't make sense."

"I've already read it sir. Most of it," said Ianto. "What is it that's troubling you? It's pretty extensive really."

"Yeah, and to me, that doesn't feel quite right," said Jack darkly, frowning at the papers. "Call me suspicious, but generally people don't code all of that and then send it to us. It's just too neat, too--"

"Convenient?" Ianto suggested.

"Yeah," Jack agreed, feeling frustrated. "I don't know Ianto. Am I being paranoid?"

Ianto didn't reply for a moment. "It talks a lot about the Doctor," he said eventually.

"Yeah, this mysterious Doctor," said Jack, searching on his desk for another folder. "I had Tosh check him out. He used to work with UNIT, did you know that? As a scientific advisor or something." He threw the folder aside. "And the code says he's a really great guy. Lots of doing good, solving problems, fighting evil. Y'know, pretty damn essential to the survival of this planet and probably hundreds of others. So why the hell has something taken him out of his timeline?"

"Something called…the Mind," said Ianto, trying to recall the details of the translated code. "A computer, but an artificially intelligent one. Built by an alien race to obtain and preserve--"

"--the peace and harmony of the Universe," said Jack, reading from a scrap of paper. "And then of course, this code mentions Rose Tyler, the innocent little Londoner who escaped from the Autons but apparently didn't do it properly."

"It mentions you as well sir," Ianto pointed out. "You were supposed to meet up with the Doctor in 1941." He studied his boss carefully for a reaction. "That's either very interesting or a mis-translation."

"Jack," said Tosh breathlessly, sticking her head around the door. "We've got a problem." Jack immediately rose from his seat and followed her out of the room. Ianto, left behind again, sighed despondently and started picking up some of the files that Jack had dropped.

A moment later Jack returned, his mouth set in a grim line.

"Ianto, can you take me to Gwen's flat?" he asked. "Only she's been gone an awfully long time, and Tosh has just informed me that her comm is offline."

"Offline?" Ianto stood up, alarmed.

"Yeah, and considering who's with her, that's not a good sign," Jack said darkly.

"I'd be happy to take you there, if that's what you want," said Ianto, feeling confused. "But what about the others?" He stood there awkwardly like a geek who'd suddenly and unexpectedly found himself picked first for a sports team.

"I need them to stay here as backup, ready with the SUV if something goes wrong," Jack explained. He paused. "I just thought you'd like to come. You can use a gun, hold your own in a fight…and I'd like the company." Ianto smiled gratefully and nodded, then followed Jack out of the Hub.

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The door to Gwen's flat was locked, and didn't open even after Jack had hammered on it for a few minutes.

"Gwen?" he bellowed through the letter box. "Rose? Anyone in there?" He straightened up, looking furious. "No one's answering. They're both gone."

"But the door's locked, and it doesn't look like something's tried to break in," Ianto pointed out. "That's got to be a good sign."

"I wish I had your optimism Ianto, I really do," said Jack, studying the door. "OK. We're breaking it down."

"No need," said Ianto, reaching inside his coat pocket and bringing out a lock pick triumphantly. "Stand aside sir. I'll get this door open," he continued dramatically, grinning at Jack. Jack rolled his eyes but watched intently as Ianto bent over the lock. For a few moments there was only the metallic scratching of the pick inside the lock. Then there was an audible click, and Ianto took hold of the door handle again. The door swung gently open.

"Pretty impressive," Jack said with a grin. Ianto shrugged.

"I'm a man of many talents," he said, a mischievous glint in his eye. But Jack had already barrelled past him and was looking around the flat, his gun held out stiffly in front of him. Ianto followed cautiously as Jack looked in every possible hiding place. Then he put away the gun with a sigh.

"Completely deserted," he announced. "They must have wandered off somewhere."

But Ianto had noticed something strange about the door. "This door was locked from the inside," he said, staring at the bunch of keys lying on the doormat just underneath the lock. "I thought I felt something inside the lock. They must have been pushed out."

"Oh God," said Jack. He was staring at the coffee table, which was lying forlornly on it's side in a mess of scattered magazines. "This is bad. Whatever got in here was either incredibly neat in their breaking and entering or they used a teleport. Which means it was alien."

"And hostile," Ianto added, nodding towards the overturned table.

"They must have put up a fight." Jack stood surveying the scene for a moment, his forehead creased as he tried to decide what to do next.

"OK, I'm gonna contact Tosh and Owen," he said, getting his earpiece out of his pocket and turning it on. "They can bring over some gear from the Hub, and we can work out our next move." He moved away slightly and spoke into his earpiece. "Tosh? You were right, something is wrong. Gwen and Rose have disappeared, possibly teleported somewhere. We're gonna need…" He stopped suddenly. "Ianto, can you feel that?"

"It's like static," Ianto agreed, gingerly touching the metal frame of one of Gwen's pictures. There was a loud crackle and he pulled his hand away. "Definitely some sort of electricity."

There was another loud crackle and Jack frowned at Ianto. "You can stop touching metal objects now Ianto."

"I didn't touch anything," Ianto protested. Then he stopped and turned very pale, looking at something just behind Jack. Jack whirled round immediately to find two figures, dressed in heavy black cloaks. One held a small device in it's hand that Jack presumed was the teleporter that had taken Gwen and Rose to wherever they were now.

"Guns?" asked Ianto shakily, reaching under his coat.

"No!" Jack snapped. He stared at the figures. "Go on then. Take us to your leader."

The figures each extended an arm and wrapped a claw like hand around Jack and Ianto's shoulders. There was a sudden flash of blue…

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Gosh, that ending seems familiar...it's all getting a bit exciting! Perhaps you could celebrate this by reviewing?


	6. Chapter 6

**The Bad Wolf Code**

**Part Six**

**Notes: **I'm afraid I may not be updating as loyally for a couple of weeks cause I have mock GCSEs to attend to, BUT I promise I will not give up on this fic if you don't. So I hope you enjoy this chapter and stick it on your alerts or something so you remember to read again soon!

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_Jack? Jack, you've got to wake up. You're needed. Trust me. Wake up!_

"Jack?"

Jack shot straight upright with a gasp and stared wildly around him. He was in some sort of cell, cold and square and dark. Someone was holding his hand.

"Jack, it's me," said a voice. Rose Tyler was sitting next to him, her fingers wrapped around his own. She was very pale and her brown eyes were filled with fear.

"They took Gwen," she said, her voice shaking. "I woke up when they opened the door. Gwen tried to fight…but they took her away. I thought they were bringing her back again, but instead they threw you in here."

"Ianto," Jack said hoarsely.

"Over there," said Rose, pointing. Jack scrambled towards him on his knees. Ianto was still unconscious. Jack took hold of his hand. It was ice cold.

"Ianto, wake up," Jack ordered, rubbing his hand briskly. When this didn't revive him, Jack gently propped up Ianto's head and felt for a pulse.

"Is he…?" Rose stopped, unable to say it.

"He's alive," Jack said in a low voice. He turned to Rose, looking fierce. "Who did this to him?"

"I didn't see their faces," she said hurriedly. She faltered slightly. "But their hands…they looked like they were made of metal. Do you think they're robots?"

Jack stood up. "I don't care." He headed towards the door, a solid metal studded affair, and started ramming his shoulder against it. He gritted his teeth against the pain but didn't stop, stubbornly beating on the door again and again.

"Jack," said Rose quietly. "Stop."

He slumped against the door, seemingly defeated. Then he took a few paces backwards, and with an almighty roar, flung himself against the door.

"Jack, stop!" Rose shouted, trying to grab hold of him. He didn't struggle, and they both collapsed onto the floor, Jack breathing heavily. Rose took hold of his hands, wanting to make it absolutely certain that he wouldn't try again.

"I can hear him," she said. "The Doctor. I can hear him…every time I stop thinking, if I'm still, if I'm quiet. He's so much closer here."

"Then he must be close," Jack reasoned, feeling in his pockets. "They took my gun."

"Surprise of the century," muttered Rose, rolling her eyes.

"But they didn't take anything else," he said, frowning. He got out his mobile phone, his earpiece and his pager. All three were functioning normally, although none of them were getting a signal. "That worries me. Know why? Because whatever we're dealing with, it's smart enough to tell the difference between a weapon and a communicator."

"Everyone on the planet can do that," Rose pointed out.

"That's the point. We're not on the planet anymore," said Jack as though it was obvious. "Can't you tell?"

"I'm locked in a cell," said Rose, staring at him. "Not everyone has your super powers."

"Why don't you try getting up, bouncing around a bit?" Jack replied. "Bet you anything you'll feel lighter."

"Because the gravity's different," Rose realised.

"Top marks."

There was a sudden clanging noise, the sound of metal on metal. Jack immediately got to his feet and pulled Rose away from the door, stationing her behind him for protection. There was a resounding clunk as the door was unlocked, then it swung silently open. Two of the cloaked figures stood in the doorway. They looked blankly in Jack's direction for a moment, then one extended an arm. It was pointing, Jack presumed, pointing with one long metal finger. Rose was right; they had to be some kind of robot. Jack turned his head in the direction that the figure was pointing and saw Ianto, unconscious and helpless on the floor.

"No!" Jack snarled, leaping at the figure. It didn't even flinch, but almost lazily swung the arm around to hit Jack with terrifying power around the face. Jack roared in pain and fury as he was sent flying into the opposite corner.

"Leave him alone!" Rose yelled as the figures descended on Ianto, dragging him like a ragdoll towards the door.

"Ianto!" Jack bellowed, staggering to his feet as the door slammed shut. He collapsed again before he could reach it, spitting out blood. His lip was swollen and already an angry red sore was forming on his cheek.

"OK," he growled. "Now I'm pissed off."

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It was perhaps an hour later before the cell door opened again. Jack had spent that time angrily pacing the floor, while Rose sat in a corner watching him.

"I'm sorry about Ianto," she said awkwardly. A sudden thought occurred to her. "Are you and him…?"

Jack caught her drift, and to her surprise, he laughed. "I just don't like losing members of my team," he said. "Him plus Gwen makes two, and that's far too many."

"I don't get it though," Rose said, frowning. "Why would those robots want them? I thought we were the ones they were after."

"How do you figure that?" From Jack's tone, she could tell he wasn't disagreeing with her. He just wanted to know how she'd come to that conclusion.

"Well…we're the ones mentioned in the code," Rose said hesitantly, wondering if she'd worked it out right. "And we're the ones connected with the Doctor. I just thought…this is all about him, isn't it?"

Jack looked really pleased with this for some reason. "Rose Tyler, you're a lot smarter than you look," he said with a grin.

"Oi!" she said, but she was smiling too.

"I don't know why they didn't take us," Jack said. "But for some reason, they wanted to deal with the others first."

_Rose! Jack! Leave, now!_

Jack froze, then turned his head slowly towards Rose. "Did you hear that?" She nodded.

"The Doctor again," she mumbled, trying to smile as if it was normal by now.

The door slammed open again and she jumped, startled. Jack turned to face the doorway, his hands curled into fists.

"Get up Rose," he ordered, not taking his eyes off the cloaked figures. There were two, as usual. Jack was beginning to wonder if that was the lot as far as these particular robots went. Rose got to her feet and went to stand beside Jack, standing as straight as she could manage. If these things were trying to intimidate her, they had another thing coming. Because Rose Tyler was not going to be afraid of them any more.

"Come on then," she said defiantly, challenging the two figures. They regarded her blankly for a moment then turned as one and walked silently away from the door and down the corridor outside. They moved so quietly in fact, that with the cloaks covering whatever they had at their bases, they seemed to glide eerily across the floor.

"What are they doing?" Rose hissed. Jack stared for a moment, working it out.

"I think we're meant to follow them," he concluded, looking surprised.

"Guess it beats being grabbed," Rose said, looking similarly puzzled.

"Come on," said Jack, following them cautiously.

The corridor outside showed very little differences to the cell they had been imprisoned in. It too was a uniform grey colour, barely lit by lamps that only flickered on when someone moved underneath them, leaving darkness behind and ahead. When they reached a corner it looked as if it was a perfect right angle. Everything was neat and ordered and perfectly clean, but that darkness and the silent figures drifting ahead of them unnerved Rose, despite her earlier resolution not to be scared of them. Jack didn't look completely comfortable either, and Rose didn't know whether she was relieved by this knowledge or more nervous because of it.

After a while, they came to a sort of window, a view point that made it possible to see whatever lay outside. Rose stopped and looked out.

"Oh," she said in a small voice. The window looked out into space. But there were no stars, no planets. Just emptiness. Rose bit her lip, telling herself she was silly to be upset but feeling disappointed all the same. She felt Jack come to stand beside her.

"It's not all like that y'know," he said. "The Universe. Some parts of it are absolutely teeming with life and noise and pollution."

"Like Earth?"

Rose saw Jack's smile reflected in the window. "You've gotta start thinking bigger than Earth, Rose. Cause there's a lot more out there."

Rose nodded and forced herself to look away. The two cloaked figures were stood either side of another door. As she looked at them, one pointed towards it.

"God, what are these things? The Ghosts of Christmas Future?" she muttered. Jack chuckled appreciatively as he brushed past her, pushing open the door without a second thought.

The room beyond was huge, endlessly huge, and made of a white stone that sparkled like magic whenever the light hit it. Elegant pillars carved to look as though they were plaited reached all the way to the ceiling, which was a great dome of glass so clear that it felt like there was no barrier between the cold, empty blackness outside. It should have been beautiful. But it wasn't. It was horrifying.

There were three hovering spheres in the room, each about seven feet in diameter, pulsing with a black, translucent energy. They were all occupied by living, breathing people. Two of them were Gwen and Ianto, Rose realised with a sinking feeling. The central sphere however, just a few feet away from where Rose was standing, had a man that Rose didn't recognise suspended inside it. His arms were stretched out, but his legs hung loosely as though he had been crucified. He was wounded. There was a gash running down his cheek and his jumper was torn. But strangely, the wounds were open, not bleeding or healing, but cut into his skin as if they had been freshly made.

His head lolled onto his chest and he was clearly unconscious, but Rose could hear him talking to her.

_Rose?_

"Doctor?" she whispered, approaching the sphere. She reached out a hand to touch it.

_No! Don't touch it. I've tried before. It hurt._

She snatched her hand away and was about to warn Jack, but he was already on the move.

"Gwen! Ianto!"

"Jack, no! Don't touch them!" Rose shouted, running after him. Jack looked ready to try and punch his way through whatever it was that was keeping him from his friends, but he stopped at Rose's words of caution.

"I would also advise you not to touch them," said a strange voice that echoed around the room. "I imagine it would be painful for you."

Both Rose and Jack looked around them, expecting to see another person. But no one had entered the room. The door was still shut, guarded by the two robots, and they were the only other people in there apart from the three suspended in the spheres.

"Jack, what was that?" Rose whispered urgently, feeling her heart start to pound uncomfortably.

"I am the Mind, Rose Tyler," said the voice pleasantly. "Thank you for joining me."

Rose was still looking for the source of the voice. "Where are you?"

"The code said that the Mind was a computer," Jack called to her. He was now stood by one of the walls, running his hands over it. "So there are speakers in the walls. That's why it sounds like it's surrounding us." He looked up again, striding towards the centre of the room. "But here's what I don't understand," he said loudly, addressing the Mind. "You were built to preserve peace and harmony. To keep the Universe safe. So why the hell would you try and get rid of the Doctor?"

"I didn't get rid of him," said the Mind, in a warm, friendly voice. It sounded male, Jack decided, but beyond that there was nothing more he could identify. Aliens had built it, or so the code had said, but Jack had no idea which. There was nothing in that voice that even gave him the slightest clue. "The Doctor is still alive."

"Yeah, I can see that," Jack said, stopping next to the sphere that contained him. "Funny sort of life. He's not been living properly since the day you captured him."

"I wouldn't say that…" Jack stopped, staring at the sphere. He recognised the voice of course, but it had seemed different somehow. Was it his imagination, or had the Doctor spoken those words aloud?

"Doctor?" he said, moving closer to the sphere. Slowly, the man inside raised his head. From the pained expression on his face, Jack could tell it was taking a great deal of effort. Steely blue eyes flickered open and fixed on Jack.

"Hello," said the Doctor, with the faintest of smiles.

"No!" screamed the Mind, and a deafening alarm began to sound. "_Sedate him!_" All traces of warm welcome had gone from the Mind's voice as it boomed from the speakers. "_Sedate the Doctor, now!_"

The robots, which until now had been standing motionlessly by the door, immediately sprang into action. They advanced on the sphere, pulling long metal poles from their robes as they did so.

"Don't you dare come near him," said Jack menacingly, stationing himself in front of the sphere. One of the robots picked him up effortlessly by the collar, ignoring Rose's furious protests. As Jack tried to free himself, the robot leant it's head towards him.

"You have caused enough trouble already, Captain Jack Harkness," it said. Jack stared at it, shocked to hear not a mechanical monotone, but a voice that belonged to a living, and decidedly angry, being. He could feel it _breathing_ on his face. Then it flung him roughly aside, and Jack heard the sickening crunch of his own head hitting the stone floor. Pain exploded behind his eyes, but he clung fiercely onto consciousness. Squinting against the pain, Jack managed to see that the robots, or whatever they were, had not harmed Rose, and she was now stood a short distance away from the sphere.

"Leave him alone!" Rose cried as they advanced upon the Doctor, who was staring at them, his chest heaving.

"Go on then," he challenged, fixing them with a cold stare from those intense, blue-grey eyes. Without any hesitation, the robots plunged the metal poles into the force field surrounding the Doctor, making it crackle with an electric blue light. The Doctor arched his head back with a terrible scream of pain and fury. When the poles with withdrawn, his head flopped back onto his chest and he was motionless once more.

"Why are you doing this?" Rose yelled, her vision blurring with hot, angry tears.

"Because he is dangerous," said the Mind coolly as the alarm cut off. "The Doctor is one of the most dangerous beings to ever threaten the Universe."

"That's not true," Rose denied fiercely.

"You've never even met him," the Mind said.

Rose's breath caught in her throat as she stopped and looked at the Doctor. "But I know him," she whispered.

"Rose!" She turned to see Jack trying to get to his feet. She ran to help him, pulling one of his arms around her shoulders.

"Rose, they're not robots," he hissed urgently in her ear. She stared at him.

"What?" she whispered, wondering if the blow to the head had affected his mind. There was blood in his hair and he certainly looked slightly concussed. But he didn't look crazy.

"_They're not robots_," he repeated, stressing each word. This time, Rose believed him. "Get me to them." Rose did as he asked, helping him to stagger towards the two, immobile figures.

"What are you doing?" asked the Mind curiously. Jack ignored it and stared at the cloaked figure that had thrown him to the floor.

"You tried to kill me just then, didn't you?" he asked loudly. "You didn't throw me nearly hard enough for that."

"It has no mind of it's own, Captain," said the computer, sounding bored. "There is no point talking to it."

"See, a few minutes ago, I would have agreed with you," Jack said, his eyes burning with the knowledge that he was right. He reached out a hand and grabbed the hood of the figures cloak, pulling it down to reveal…

A cold, smooth, featureless metal face.

"Jack?" Rose looked at the American and saw that he was grinning, not at all phased. He reached out a second time and managed, somehow, to tug that face away.

The metal was a mask. And underneath, there was the angry, defiant face of a young man. His chin was covered in rough but light coloured stubble, and his eyes were an impossibly bright electric blue against his skin, which was so pale it was almost translucent.

"So what's your name, bachelor number one?" Jack quipped, looking triumphant.

"My name is Kahn," said the man. His voice was low and grating, and made Rose think of gravel and chalk screeching on a blackboard. She instinctively didn't like him, although that may have been due to the looks he was giving her and Jack. His eyes burned with what could only be described as loathing, although she couldn't work out why. "And the Mind belongs to me and my sister."

"Sister?" asked Rose. The light suddenly dawned and she pulled down the other figure's hood. Then the figure itself reached up and removed the smooth metal mask.

"My name is Lyra," she said, in a much politer, smoother voice than her brother. She shared his bright blue eyes and pale skin, and the hair that hung around her face to just touch her shoulders was a light, silvery white colour. "And my brother is telling the truth. We created the Mind."

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Longer chapters were requested...is this more to your liking? This fic should be pretty much wrapped up in a couple more chapters, so I hope y'all get your reviews in soon:)


	7. Chapter 7

**The Bad Wolf Code**

**Part Seven**

**Notes: **Very very close to the end now. Thanks to all those who have reviewed. I hope that pretty much everything will get tied up in this chapter (with a few exceptions) but if you notice anything that I've left out, don't hesitate to drop me a line. As for the names of the two 'robots', I just sat very very still for a moment until two names popped into my heads. Then the characters pretty much wrote themselves. So the names are sadly not very significant. Unless you want them to be! ;)

Enjoy!

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"You don't exactly look like the evil genius type." Jack was frowning at Lyra. She lowered her eyes.

"I didn't want…I didn't think it would go this far," she said softly.

"Lyra!" Her brother looked angry.

Jack watched her intently, willing her to carry on. She caught his gaze and swallowed. "We built the computer after our people were destroyed in the Time War. We made it intelligent. It was supposed to calculate…" She faltered. "We wanted…we wanted to protect future…but it's all going wrong…"

"What we've done is justice," snarled her brother. "This man is a criminal."

"He has endangered the safety of many planets," Lyra said hesitantly.

"And he's saved countless more!" said Jack angrily. Rose noticed that he was leaning less on her, beginning to stand up properly.

"I didn't want to imprison him here!" Lyra's eyes were slowly filling with tears, and she sounded like she was appealing to Rose and Jack for help. "But the Mind insisted that it would keep the Universe safe. It was almost like…it was obsessed with the Doctor…"

"Do you have any idea what he's done? The terrible crimes he has committed?" said the Mind harshly, sounding like it was sneering at them.

"He's not a criminal!" Rose said hotly.

"How would you know?" Kahn asked fiercely. Jack watched him curiously. "The Doctor is responsible for ending the most terrible war there ever was. And do you know _how _he ended it?" He paused, staring wildly at Rose. "By destroying _everyone_ involved."

"Now wait just a minute," Jack said slowly, straightening up and staring Kahn in the face. "You and your sister built a fantastic machine, something that would keep the Universe safe." Kahn nodded briskly but said nothing. Jack smiled thoughtfully, and continued, knowing he was right. "But you altered it, didn't you? You reprogrammed it so that the instant it started functioning, it would recognise the Doctor as the biggest threat to the Universe."

"Why would I do that?" Kahn fired back with contempt.

"Because you wanted revenge," said Jack with equal fervour, his eyes never leaving Kahn's for a second.

Kahn shook his head, laughing as though Jack was mad. Then he noticed Lyra. Her eyes were fixed on him, staring at him. Jack saw him shift uncomfortably. "Surely you don't believe him?"

Jack watched Lyra closely, observing the struggle that was going on inside her. "After our people were destroyed, you were so angry. So much hatred," she said eventually, her voice breaking slightly.

"My world was gone! Our family!" he said, trying to defend himself. "I was in mourning--"

"You didn't mourn, Kahn!" Lyra said, throwing the metal mask that had concealed her identity to the ground. "You just got angrier and angrier. And then you suggested building the Mind. I thought you were better. I thought you were my brother again!"

"I will always be your brother!" said Kahn angrily, clenching his fists inside the metal gloves that covered them. "How dare you take a stranger's word over mine?"

"Because he's right," she replied softly. "And I saw it before Kahn. I knew what you were doing…I thought it would heal you." She shook her head and took a clumsy step away from her brother, tripping slightly on the long black cloak that covered her. "This is your fault. Your responsibility."

"It is the Doctor's fault!" Rose jumped slightly. She had forgotten about the computer, but it had clearly been listening. Except now, when it spoke, she wasn't afraid of it. In fact, she felt her confidence beginning to grow. She looked at the Doctor, then at Gwen and Ianto. They were relying on her and Jack to save them. She had to do something.

"He was responsible for the slaughter of his own people," continued the Mind, it's voice echoing around them. "You, Rose Tyler. You claim to know him. Did you know that?"

Rose stood still, thinking it over. This conflict had to end, and it had to end now before someone got hurt. It wasn't just her and Jack who were in danger after all. She searched for something, anything, some tiny detail that would help her. Then suddenly she was seized by a sort of clarity. She knew exactly what to do.

"You're just a computer," she said, trying to mimic the way Jack had confronted Kahn. "A mad old malfunctioning computer that's been…" She faltered slightly and swallowed, searching for the right words. Evidently, this kind of thing took practice. "…that's been messed about and reprogrammed. And I don't care what you think." She advanced on the Doctor's sphere, staring at the man inside.

"What are you doing?" said the Mind, sounding flustered for the first time. "Kahn, Lyra, what is she doing?"

"You told me not to touch the sphere," Rose said. "I think that's exactly what I should do."

"No! You musn't! _Stop her!_" screamed the Mind furiously.

"Don't you dare!" Kahn growled.

"And there's the proof," Rose said to the Mind with a smile, raising her arm.

"Rose!" Jack bellowed, obviously thinking she'd gone mad. But it was too late. Rose had already touched it.

Jack saw her arching her head back, crying out as if in pain, but to Rose it wasn't painful at all. It was like light flooding through her, and for a moment she could hear the Doctor again, clear as day. And he reassured her that she'd done the right thing, praised her for her cleverness. And although she crumpled to the ground, there was a blissful smile on her lips.

"Rose?" Jack whispered, crouching down next to her. He touched her face, brushing her hair away from her temple. He felt a heavy hand fall on his shoulder and turned, knowing instinctively who he would see.

"Is she alright?" the Doctor asked, sounding tired. He was looking at Rose with an expression that Jack could only assume was pride.

"She should be fine," said a voice from behind them. Lyra was watching them, a nervous smile on her face. "The spheres are made out of a kind of energy. It's dangerous for people inside to try and break out, but from the outside they're harmless enough. She should wake up feeling rather refreshed actually."

"They're incredible inventions," said the Doctor honestly. "You ought to be proud of yourselves."

Lyra's shook her head. "My brother has nothing to be proud of," she said firmly. Kahn himself fallen to his knees, staring at the empty space where the sphere had been.

"It's all over," he said wretchedly.

"Yeah, you're right. It is," said the Doctor icily. "The next time you've got a problem with me, take it up with me in person. And don't you _dare _get anyone else involved." Then he looked at Lyra. "It's one thing me working out that Time had gone a bit wrong, but I'm a Time Lord. How did you do it? How did you know to go after Rose and Jack?"

"We monitored your brain activity," she said, not able to look at the Doctor. "When we realised you were still conscious on some level, we were able to decipher the messages you sent to them. The Mind…" She swallowed. The Doctor just looked at her, acknowledging that she was sorry.

"OK," he said after a pause. "All water under the bridge. You'd better let those two free as well," he said, pointing at the other spheres. She nodded and moved towards each one, getting out some kind of control pad.

"The energy creates a force field," she explained. "A force field that Time can't penetrate. It's a little like a vacuum. My people used the same idea as a way of going into stasis when they were travelling large distances." A few moments later, the bubble around Gwen disappeared with a crackling sound and she fell to the floor. Jack immediately went to help her.

"Jack?" she murmured, opening her eyes.

"Congratulations Gwen Cooper," he said with a grin. "You're officially the first human to have experienced timelessness." There was another crackle behind him. "And there goes the second," he added, turning around to see Ianto on the floor, but awake and looking around with a confused expression.

"OK," said Ianto hesitantly. "Where am I?"

"That's a point," said the Doctor. "What did you say this place was called Lyra?"

She shrugged. "We never gave it a name. It was our refuge during the War. It's how we survived." She looked at Kahn sadly. "Kahn, shut down the Mind. Our work is over." Kahn silently did as he was told, looking defeated.

Lyra pulled the robe over her head, flinging her disguise aside to reveal simple white clothes made out of a material that looked half like linen, and half like hospital scrubs. "I'm so sorry," she said, addressing them all. "For everything we've done."

The Doctor just grinned. "No harm done," he said. "Just one thing though. Where did you put the TARDIS?"

"The what?" asked Gwen, looking confused. "Jack, what's going on?"

"I'll explain later," he said, helping her to her feet and giving her a quick hug. She laughed at him.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"Just glad you're alright," he said gently. Then he moved away to help Ianto to his feet.

"I suppose you are going to explain this all to us at some point Jack," Ianto said, sounding just as confused as Gwen but somehow accepting of it.

"Oh forget the domestics for now," said the Doctor, rolling his eyes. He was already following Lyra out of the room.

"Doctor?" Jack called after him. "What about Rose?"

The Doctor stopped, looking back at the girl who lay unconscious on the floor. He smiled softly and walked towards her. Then gently, trying not to hurt her, he bent down and gathered her in his arms.

"I'll carry her," he said firmly, straightening up. "She deserves the rest." He went after Lyra with Rose cradled in his arms, Jack and his team mates following swiftly behind. And if they were surprised to see what lay inside that strange blue box, the TARDIS, the Doctor didn't notice. He was glad to be home again.

Lyra watched the police box fade out of view and silently walked away. There was still more to be done inside her refuge. She had her brother to look after now, and that would be difficult and frustrating work. And she would have to face it alone.

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"Holy…" Gwen trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. Ianto was in a similar state, although he seemed completely and utterly speechless, clinging to the railing for support.

Rose however had broken into a huge, amazed grin from the instant she'd walked into the TARDIS, a smile matched only by the Doctor's.

"This is amazing," she said, a little breathlessly. She turned around slowly, looking up into the ceiling then gazing wide eyed at the squat, mushroom shaped console with the graceful column rising from the centre.

"Amazing does _not _do this place justice," Jack said, striding all around the console, peering at the jumble of buttons and levers spread haphazardly across it in no particular order.

"But on the outside it was…" Gwen was still looking stunned.

"Bigger on the inside," announced the Doctor, beaming with pride. "I'd explain it to you but it's take about a year and you wouldn't get it anyway. Humans. Nothing but apes, the lot of you."

"Yeah, alright!" Rose protested, but she was still grinning.

"Oh my God." Ianto had finally got over the shock of it all and was attempting a weak smile. "This is…this is…"

"Fantastic," Rose said immediately. "This is _fantastic_."

"Fantastic?" The Doctor paused. "I quite like that. _Fantastic_." He seemed to shake himself out of it and leapt towards a lever, pulling it down with obvious joy. "Hold on tight if you wanna arrive in one piece," he yelled as a strange noise began, a sort of wheezing and grinding, like an old engine grumbling into action. Rose grabbed the edge of the console next to Jack and they exchanged an excited glance. Ianto tightened his grip on the railing and braced himself as the room gave a lurch that sent Gwen completely off balance.

"Torchwood, Cardiff Bay, in what year?" the Doctor shouted at Jack.

"2006," he replied. "28th of April."

"That's the day after my birthday," Rose said, only just remembering herself. The Doctor gave her a quick glance and a glimpse of that mad, excited grin.

"Happy birthday," he said warmly. "Now hold on!"

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Reviews may prompt the sending of blessings and cookies. And the Dalek twisty dance perhaps. Oh yes. It's time has come.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Bad Wolf Code**

**Part Eight**

**Notes: **This is the last chapter of this fic. It had to come to an end eventually...even though I wish it didn't (you however may feel differently). The support I've received for this has been so encouraging, so look forward to more from me in the future!

A bit of Iack in this again. Not too much though. And yes, Iack. Say it out loud. You've just said the word 'yak', and it applies to Jack and Ianto. SO much better than Janto, in my opinion (which as my friend Nez says, sounds like an ugly brand of jam). All credit for coining the term Iack (as far as I'm aware) goes to Roy...long may she reign.

Onwards!

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Tosh was sitting at her computer when a sudden draft swirled around her, picking up her hair. Puzzled to hear that the breeze was accompanied by a particularly bizarre sound, she rose cautiously from her seat and moved towards the stairs.

"Owen? Is that you?" she called out tentatively. The sound increased in volume and, impossibly, Toshiko saw a bright light fading into view several feet in the air, just in front of the main entrance. As she watched, the light was followed by a tall blue box structure which she recognised from some old trivia website as a police box, most commonly seen in Britain in the 1950s. It certainly had no business landing in the Hub. Or invading the Hub. Was this an invasion? Tosh's mind began to race and she forced herself to calm down, recognising that she was becoming irrational.

She heard a slight scuffing sound as whatever was inside the police box began to make it's way out. Tosh retreated further up the steps and snatched up a standard issue Torchwood pistol. She wasn't really one for weapons, but in the face of the unknown, she'd prefer to have the gun. The door swung open with a creak and to her complete amazement Gwen stumbled out, followed swiftly by Jack and then Ianto.

"Oh my God," Tosh breathed. "What on Earth…where have you been? You just…disappeared." She felt her grip loosen on the gun and it clattered to the floor. Jack just grinned and gave her a tight hug.

"We're all fine, I promise," he said.

"What about Rose? Rose Tyler, where is she?" Tosh babbled as he released her. He wandered lazily back towards the door and poked his head inside.

"Rose?" he called.

"Yeah?" she yelled back, her voice sounding impossibly far away.

"Can you come out here for a second? Bring the Doctor," he added as an afterthought. He nodded towards Toshiko. "I think you'll like him."

"Yeah," Tosh said, still reeling. Gwen smiled in sympathy.

"Don't worry, I don't understand any of this either," she said, giggling as she too pulled Tosh into a hug. "Sorry we scared you."

"I'm fine, I just…" Tosh trailed off as Rose Tyler and a very tall and somewhat handsome man whom she presumed was the Doctor also emerged from the police box. "How big is that thing?"

"Take a look," the Doctor invited her, his blue eyes twinkling. Toshiko looked around at the others' smiling faces and hesitantly approached the police box and slipped inside.

"Nice place," said the Doctor approvingly. "I like what you've done with the whole 'underground lair' idea. You've made it your own. You have…" There was a hungry screech from above them and something soared overhead with a lazy flap of massive, leathery wings. The Doctor looked up. "You have a pterodactyl."

Tosh poked her head out of the door again, her eyes lit up in wonder. "It's incredible in here!" she said excitedly. The Doctor chuckled appreciatively.

"Go for it, explore," he said. "It's called the TARDIS by the way. That's T-A-R-D-I-S. Time And Relative Dimension In Space. Try not to get lost, and don't touch anything you don't recognise, even if it asks you nicely." Tosh gaped at him and he nodded encouragingly. "Off you go."

With a delighted grin, Toshiko disappeared back inside.

"You do realise she won't want to leave," Jack said. "You've just presented Toshiko with techo-heaven. She'll go nuts trying to work out how you get the outside around the inside."

"Let her try," the Doctor said with a grin. "If she's as smart as she must be since she's working here, she won't do anything stupid." He clapped his hands together. "Now. If someone puts the kettle on and makes me a nice cup of tea, I'll have a shot at answering your questions. Then we have a timeline to fix."

"Tea. That's my department," said Ianto with a smile, beginning to make his way towards the clean corner of the Hub with a kettle and a sink which he liked to call the kitchen.

"I suggest the rest of us go up to the conference room," said Jack. "But Gwen, you should go home."

"What?" Gwen looked confused and a little hurt.

"Look, you've had a difficult twenty-four hours. Go home and spend some time with the boyfriend. Get some sleep." Seeing that she wasn't convinced, he continued. "You should have had today off anyway. Owen's not come in and the instant Tosh finds her way back out of the TARDIS, she'll be going home too."

"And what about Ianto?" Gwen demanded. Jack didn't answer for a moment.

"He can leave too, if he wants to," he said eventually. He pulled her to one side and, recognising that they could do with some peace, the Doctor started chatting animatedly to Rose about the water tower, while Jack continued to talk to Gwen. "Go home, tidy up your flat and look pretty for your boyfriend. Don't let it unravel, Gwen." She glared at him defiantly. "You promised me," he added quietly.

Her expression softened. "You call me the instant anything comes up," she said, pointing at Jack in a threatening manner. Jack grinned in response and gestured the Doctor and Rose towards the conference room. But the Doctor stood his ground, waiting until Gwen had left.

"Why did you really send her home?" he asked, his eyes fixed on Jack.

"Because she complicates things," he replied, his own eyes giving away nothing. Seeing the confused look on Rose's face and the frown on the Doctor's, he realised he would have to explain that statement further. "We have to fix the timeline, and that's gonna mean rewriting it. Gwen wouldn't like the idea of her history being changed. It's better that she's not here."

"What do you mean, rewrite history?" Rose said, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Jack and then the Doctor in turn. "How much are you gonna change?"

"Let's go and sit down, OK?" the Doctor said, avoiding her gaze. "Wouldn't want to waste Ianto's tea."

The conference room was neat and formal with none of the homely clutter of Jack's office or the work stations. Rose picked at the sleeve of her borrowed jumper uncomfortably before sitting down in one of the stiff, upright chairs. The Doctor took the head of the table and Jack sat to his left, opposite Rose. Ianto had clearly already been in before them because there was a teapot in the middles of the table surrounded by mugs, but none of them touched it.

"We have two options," the Doctor said, his hands folded in front of him. "Captain, I'm guessing you have something that'll wipe memories?"

"Retcon," Jack replied. "And plenty of it."

"I don't want my memory tampered with," said Rose firmly. "And besides, you'd have to wipe loads of people. Mickey, all my friends, everyone here at Torchwood. And you Doctor. It just wouldn't work."

"Exactly," he replied, looking pleased with her. "Which brings me to option two. I go back in the TARDIS to when we were supposed to meet. _I_ take the Retcon, just me and no one else. And then we meet, just as we were supposed to, for the first time."

"But what about me here and now? Do we all just get…wiped out?" Rose was trying to get her head around time travel still.

"You won't even notice it," he promised. "You'll go to sleep tonight and wake up in a completely different place with a new set of memories. And I'll be one of them." He smiled at her, a warm smile which she immediately returned.

"I'll look forward to that," she said.

"OK. Sounds like a plan," said Jack briskly, getting up. "I'll fetch you some Retcon."

"Hold on," Rose said, suddenly remembering something. "What about the code?"

The Doctor frowned. "What code?"

"The bad wolf code," Rose said. "The one that told Jack about me, that time had been changed. That's the reason all of this started. So what was it? Where did it come from?"

There was a moment of silence. "I don't know," said the Doctor eventually. "That sounds impossible."

"Someone must have written it," Rose persisted. "How could someone know about a version of Time that doesn't even exist yet?"

"Maybe we're not meant to know all the answers Rose," said Jack gently after another pause. "If there's one thing I've learnt in my life, it's that nothing ever makes sense. And never try and bed a Kraken, but that's another story."

"Or perhaps...perhaps the answer's hidden," said the Doctor, deep in thought. "Maybe it's in the future, our future. Bad wolf."

Rose looked at him and felt a sudden, gentle tug on her heart. Her senses seemed to dim but she could still hear something, something very far away. Music...soft, eerie music throbbing through the air, or perhaps just in her mind. Familiar music. Strange music. Music she knew and didn't know and wanted to know. And stranger still...music that knew _her_. She listened to it...and it was listening to her.

"Bad wolf," she echoed. The Doctor looked at her strangely.

"Rose? Are you alright?"

His voice brought her back to reality and she attempted a weak smile, still feeling a little spacey. "Yeah, fine."

He paused, then grinned and put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Captain Jack Harkness, I am looking forward to meeting you," he said. Then he turned to Rose. "And Rose…" He smiled softly and laced his long, calloused fingers through hers. "See you soon."

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That evening, Jack sat at his desk, reading through the decrypted code one last time. Then he gathered up the papers and dropped them into the bin. Pouring a drink, he leant back into his chair and closed his eyes.

"I'm off now, sir." Jack opened his eyes to see Ianto stood in the doorway. "Unless there's anything else…"

"Stay."

Jack watched Ianto for a reaction, some shocked look, but none came. There was a slight pause, then he slowly walked up to Jack's desk and perched on the edge of it, watching the Captain with a slight smile.

"Of course," he replied. "For as long as you need me."

Jack smiled back gratefully and poured out a second drink, which he offered to Ianto. He accepted graciously. "Time's about to change, Ianto," he said. "We could wake up in a completely different place, in a different life. I've wished for that dozens of times. But I just realised something…when I wake up, I want to be here still, with you and Gwen and Tosh. Even Owen. All of a sudden, I've got a hell of a lot to lose."

Ianto watched his boss and saw, to his surprise, that Jack was frightened. He swallowed. "Jack. Wherever you wake up tomorrow…I'm sure you'll be exactly where you need to be," he said quietly, lowering his gaze. He felt Jack's hand close over his own.

"Thanks, Ianto."

The seconds ticked closer to midnight, but neither of them spoke. They stayed still and silent, in a moment that would soon be lost in time forever.

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_A moment in the future. The Doctor cowers on the floor, looking up at his beautiful Rose with frightened eyes. She's glowing with ancient, dangerous power, and it's all for him. It's all to save him, and their life together. And even if Rose herself doesn't realise it, the Doctor knows that there's a power here that transcends friendship. That terrifies him all the more._

_She speaks. "I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself."_

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The dummies were walking now, slowly and unsteadily, but definitely moving towards her. She backed away her heart pounding uncomfortably in her ears as she groped for an exit. She tried to stare defiantly at that first dummy, but it made no reaction except to raise its arm…

Rose Tyler closed her eyes, praying for someone to rescue her. And suddenly, incredibly, she felt a warm, living hand grab her own. She turned to see a strange man, dark haired and striking, wearing a leather jacket. He leant in towards her and said one word, just one word.

"Run!"

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END


End file.
